Most people can't escape the holidays without feeling a little stressed out. The stress comes from all the things people commonly do during the holidays: over eating, drinking too much, holiday travel or dealing with family expectations, according to University of Colorado at Boulder psychiatrist Roianne Ahn.
"Whenever people get stuck in the glitziness of the holidays, or the excessiveness, they can kind of get ramped up and lose their impulse control," said Ahn. "They overspend, overeat and go into an excess behavioral mode. That can be a problem."
According to Ahn, who works at CU-Boulder聮s Wardenburg Health Center Psychiatric Clinic, stress can also add to the roller coaster effect of emotions during the holidays. For some people the intense, joyous atmosphere that accompanies Thanksgiving and Christmas can accentuate feelings of emptiness when the moment passes.
"They can get stuck in the emptiness and the despair and the hopelessness of feeling separate and disconnected," explained Ahn. "Getting stuck in any of these places can certainly lead to depression, can lead to anxiety, can lead to a sort of hyperness of not being able to stop and calm down."
Added to the problem is the fact that people in the new millennium are more stressed than ever before. According to a United Nations study, people across the world -- particularly workers -- are experiencing record levels of stress. Ahn attributes that to western attitudes that encourage high productivity, more job time and less personal time.
"We always have to produce, always at a high level, no matter what the circumstances are," said Ahn. "There is a danger, I think, when you聮re in a high-productivity environment, that there聮s no permission for slowing down, for reflecting, for taking stock."
Which, ironically, is why people celebrate the holidays, said Ahn, to give them an opportunity to slow down, reflect and take stock.
To help deal with holiday stress, Ahn offers these healthful tips:
* Breathe deeply. Deep breathing relaxes, while short shallow breathing is stressful.
* Muscle relaxation. Contract a tense muscle hard and count to 10, then relax and count to 20. Take 5 minutes to do this at least once for each of the four major body areas to quickly promote all-over relaxation: arms; head, neck and shoulders; rib cage and torso; and legs.
* Schedule worry time. Set aside 15 to 20 minutes to focus on one issue. Spend the entire time focused on that issue, and if it is resolved in the allotted time, you're done. If it isn't resolved, then schedule another 15 minutes of focus time.
* Tell people in your life how important they are and how much you care about them.
* When you get compliments, accept them.
* Schedule personal time. Identify the things that soothe, relax and comfort you and then put them into your schedule.
* Schedule self-care. Monitor your eating, sleeping and recreation to make sure you get enough to function well.
* Schedule time with people you like and do the things that you enjoy.
* If you get stuck feeling depressed or anxious, get help from friends or professionals.